Black on White attack on St. Patrick's day in Baltimore caught on video

The video is shocking. A black kid hauls off and belts a drunk white guy right in front of the Baltimore courthouse on St. Patrick's day night. A crowd of what appears to be mostly black youths laughs when the victim's head hits the pavement with a sickening thud and then they strip him naked, taking his money, car keys, and cell phone.The reason I mention the race of the victim and perpetrators is because this WJZ report doesn't. Perhaps because it is unclear if all the perpetrators were black that WJZ didn't think it prudent to bring race into the picture.

But there are a few things about this attack that, given recent events in Florida regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting, that we might highlight.

1. The press did not jump to the immediate conclusion that the attack was racially motivated.

2. The media did not report on the race of the victim or the perpetrators.

3. One wonders if the video showed a black youth being beaten whether it would have taken 3 weeks for the video to receive any attention. and whether the races of the participants would have become relevant.

4. It is clear that white on black crimes are more newsworthy than black on white crimes.

5. Why this is so says more about race relations in America than 100 columns written by John Derbyshire.

No, the victim didn't die in this case. Does that make a difference? Evidently so. At least, the racialists trying to gin up outrage and foment violence would make that argument.

But quantifying racially motivated attacks, assigning importance and weight to them as one might measure out a cup of sugar, is idiotic and deserves nothing but our contempt for those in the media who make such parochial and subjective decisions.

The video is shocking. A black kid hauls off and belts a drunk white guy right in front of the Baltimore courthouse on St. Patrick's day night. A crowd of what appears to be mostly black youths laughs when the victim's head hits the pavement with a sickening thud and then they strip him naked, taking his money, car keys, and cell phone.

The reason I mention the race of the victim and perpetrators is because this WJZ report doesn't. Perhaps because it is unclear if all the perpetrators were black that WJZ didn't think it prudent to bring race into the picture.

But there are a few things about this attack that, given recent events in Florida regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting, that we might highlight.

1. The press did not jump to the immediate conclusion that the attack was racially motivated.

2. The media did not report on the race of the victim or the perpetrators.

3. One wonders if the video showed a black youth being beaten whether it would have taken 3 weeks for the video to receive any attention. and whether the races of the participants would have become relevant.

4. It is clear that white on black crimes are more newsworthy than black on white crimes.

5. Why this is so says more about race relations in America than 100 columns written by John Derbyshire.

No, the victim didn't die in this case. Does that make a difference? Evidently so. At least, the racialists trying to gin up outrage and foment violence would make that argument.

But quantifying racially motivated attacks, assigning importance and weight to them as one might measure out a cup of sugar, is idiotic and deserves nothing but our contempt for those in the media who make such parochial and subjective decisions.